August 4, 2025 13:49

The wave of mechanical plastic recycling plant closures sweeping across Europe has now firmly reached the UK, with two recent announcements confirming the mounting difficulties faced by the sector. One facility has already ceased operations, while the second is on the verge of being decommissioned.

Biffa has confirmed the permanent closure of its Washington facility in northern England this February.
The site, dedicated to recycling post-consumer HDPE and polypropylene, had already been idle since June 2024 due to an increasingly unfavorable market environment. “The global economic climate, the regional competitive conditions in terms of power and labor costs, and the domestic concerns in the regulatory environment are all currently not conducive to UK recycling,” the company stated.

The factors behind the shutdown echo trends seen elsewhere in Europe. “Virgin producers are finding plants underutilized and that their margins are eroded. This results in very aggressive pricing to regain share or decisions to close the virgin polymer plants,” Biffa added. “Unfortunately, this environment is very challenging for recyclers who need to compete with these low prices. The demand from packaging manufacturers as a whole has not changed dramatically; however, their ability to source cheap imported recycled materials from Asia has had a negative effect on the UK recycling industry.”

Despite the closure, Biffa is maintaining its presence in the sector. Its other UK recycling plants—in Redcar, Seaham and Sherburn—remain operational and continue to support the country’s circular economy. “We consolidated our processing within a smaller number of operationally sustainable facilities with capacity for growth prior to a broader economic recovery.”

Meanwhile, Viridor has announced plans to shut down its Rochester facility, following the closure last year of its PET recycling site in Avonmouth, which had only been operating for four years. The Rochester plant currently employs around 40 people.

The mechanical recycling equipment at Rochester has been sold to N+P, which intends to redeploy the machinery to other sites in England.

The decision follows a strategic review of the Rochester site, during which Viridor actively sought a buyer to keep operations running on-site. However, no viable buyer was found, sealing the fate of the facility.

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